The United States carried out a secret cyber operation against Iran in the wake of the September&nbsp;14 attacks on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mike-pompeo-says-abundantly-clear-iran-was-behind-saudi-oil-attacks-250674">Saudi Arabia's oil facilities</a>, which Washington and Riyadh blame on Tehran, two US&nbsp;officials have told Reuters.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the operation took place in late September and took aim at Tehran's ability to spread "propaganda."

One of the officials said the strike affected physical hardware, but did not provide further details.

The attack highlights how President Donald Trump's administration has been trying to counter what it sees as Iranian aggression without spiralling into a broader conflict.

Asked about Reuters reporting on Wednesday, Iran's Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi said: "They must have dreamt it," Fars news agency reported.

The US&nbsp;strike appears more limited than other such operations against Iran this year after the downing of an American drone in June and an alleged attack by Iran's Revolutionary Guards on oil tankers in the Gulf in May.

The United States, Saudi Arabia, Britain, France and Germany have publicly blamed the September&nbsp;14 attack on Iran, which denied involvement in the strike. The Iran-aligned Houthi militant group in Yemen claimed responsibility.

Publicly, the Pentagon has responded by sending thousands of additional <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/weapons-used-in-saudi-oil-attacks-came-from-iran-saudi-coalition-250062">troops and equipment to bolster Saudi defences</a>, the latest US&nbsp;deployment to the region this year.

The Pentagon declined to comment about the cyber strike.

"As a matter of policy and for operational security, we do not discuss cyberspace operations, intelligence, or planning," said Pentagon spokeswoman Elissa Smith. 
 
Gulf tensions rise sharply

The impact of the attack, if any, could take months to determine, but cyber strikes are seen as a less-provocative option below the threshold of war.

"You can do damage without killing people or blowing things up; it adds an option to the toolkit that we didn't have before and our willingness to use it is important," said James Lewis, a cyber expert with the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Lewis added that it may not be possible to deter Iranian behaviour with even conventional military strikes.

Tensions in the Gulf have escalated sharply since May 2018, when Trump withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Tehran that put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the easing of sanctions.

It was unclear whether there have been other US&nbsp;cyberattacks since the one in late September.

Iran has used such tactics against the United States. This month, a hacking group that appears linked to the Iranian government tried to infiltrate email accounts related to Trump's re-election campaign.

Over 30 days in August and September, the group, which Microsoft dubbed "Phosphorous," made more than 2,700 attempts to identify consumer accounts, then attacked 241 of them.

Tehran is also thought to be a major player in spreading disinformation.

Last year a Reuters investigation found more than 70 websites that push Iranian propaganda to 15 countries, in an operation that cybersecurity experts, social media firms and journalists are only starting to uncover.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/saudi-oil-attacks-put-us-commitments-to-the-test-250551">Tensions with Iran have been high since the September&nbsp;14 attack</a>. Tehran has said an Iranian tanker was hit by rockets in the Red Sea last week and warned that there would be consequences.

On Monday, President Hassan Rouhani reiterated his country's policy toward the Trump administration, ruling out bilateral talks unless Washington returns to the landmark nuclear deal and lifts crippling US&nbsp;economic sanctions.

The United States carried out a secret cyber operation against Iran in the wake of the September 14 attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities, which Washington and Riyadh blame on Tehran, two US officials have told Reuters.

The United States carried out a secret cyber operation against Iran in the wake of the September 14 attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities, which Washington and Riyadh blame on Tehran, two US officials have told Reuters. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the operation took place in late September and took aim at Tehran's ability to spread "propaganda." One of the officials said the strike affected physical hardware, but did not provide further details. The attack highlights how President Donald Trump's administration has been trying to counter what it sees as Iranian aggression without spiralling into a broader conflict. Asked about Reuters reporting on Wednesday, Iran's Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi said: "They must have dreamt it," Fars news agency reported. The US strike appears more limited than other such operations against Iran this year after the downing of an American drone in June and an alleged attack by Iran's Revolutionary Guards on oil tankers in the Gulf in May. The United States, Saudi Arabia, Britain, France and Germany have publicly blamed the September 14 attack on Iran, which denied involvement in the strike. The Iran-aligned Houthi militant group in Yemen claimed responsibility. Publicly, the Pentagon has responded by sending thousands of additional troops and equipment to bolster Saudi defences, the latest US deployment to the region this year. The Pentagon declined to comment about the cyber strike. "As a matter of policy and for operational security, we do not discuss cyberspace operations, intelligence, or planning," said Pentagon spokeswoman Elissa Smith. Gulf tensions rise sharply The impact of the attack, if any, could take months to determine, but cyber strikes are seen as a less-provocative option below the threshold of war. "You can do damage without killing people or blowing things up; it adds an option to the toolkit that we didn't have before and our willingness to use it is important," said James Lewis, a cyber expert with the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Lewis added that it may not be possible to deter Iranian behaviour with even conventional military strikes. Tensions in the Gulf have escalated sharply since May 2018, when Trump withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Tehran that put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the easing of sanctions. It was unclear whether there have been other US cyberattacks since the one in late September. Iran has used such tactics against the United States. This month, a hacking group that appears linked to the Iranian government tried to infiltrate email accounts related to Trump's re-election campaign. Over 30 days in August and September, the group, which Microsoft dubbed "Phosphorous," made more than 2,700 attempts to identify consumer accounts, then attacked 241 of them. Tehran is also thought to be a major player in spreading disinformation. Last year a Reuters investigation found more than 70 websites that push Iranian propaganda to 15 countries, in an operation that cybersecurity experts, social media firms and journalists are only starting to uncover. Tensions with Iran have been high since the September 14 attack. Tehran has said an Iranian tanker was hit by rockets in the Red Sea last week and warned that there would be consequences. On Monday, President Hassan Rouhani reiterated his country's policy toward the Trump administration, ruling out bilateral talks unless Washington returns to the landmark nuclear deal and lifts crippling US economic sanctions.

United States carried out secret cyber strike on Iran in wake of Saudi oil attack: Officials

With the threat perception changing from land, sea and air into the cyber world, India's Defence Cyber Agency has started taking shape.

The initial proposal of the Defence Cyber Agency will have close to 200-strong staff from the tri-services - Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force, to be headed by the Headquarter of Integrated Defence Staff (IDS). They will serve under the command of the Chairman, Chief of Staff Committee and work closely with the National Cyber Security Advisor.

“We are alive to the threat on cyber front. To that end, we are thinking of making a cyber agency. It would not be a quite full-fledged command as we have in the army. As conscious of the fact that the threat exists, we are going in for the cyber agency. It will be headed by a two-star rank officer. It will be an inter-service agency, not purely army, functioning under the Integrated Defence Staff. They will be looking after the threats in the cyber domain,” said Lt. General MM Naravane, GOC-in-C, Army Eastern Command.

To begin with, the Defence Cyber Agency will be based out of the IDS Headquarters and later dedicated units will come up with the Army commands.

“The entire proposal is still under the formulation. Of course, units will be spread all over the country. One person sitting in Delhi cannot be expected to do all these jobs. There will be units in every Headquarters with dedicated officers to deal with the cybersecurity,” added Naravane.

Last year, the Cabinet Committee on Security had cleared the formation of three agencies - Defence Cyber Agency is one of them, the two others are - Defence Space Agency and Special Operations Division.

With the threat perception changing from land, sea and air into the cyber world, India's Defence Cyber Agency has started taking shape. The initial proposal of the Defence Cyber Agency will have close to 200-strong staff from the tri-services - Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force, to be headed by the Headquarter of Integrated Defence Staff (IDS).

With the threat perception changing from land, sea and air into the cyber world, India's Defence Cyber Agency has started taking shape. The initial proposal of the Defence Cyber Agency will have close to 200-strong staff from the tri-services - Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force, to be headed by the Headquarter of Integrated Defence Staff (IDS). They will serve under the command of the Chairman, Chief of Staff Committee and work closely with the National Cyber Security Advisor. “We are alive to the threat on cyber front. To that end, we are thinking of making a cyber agency. It would not be a quite full-fledged command as we have in the army. As conscious of the fact that the threat exists, we are going in for the cyber agency. It will be headed by a two-star rank officer. It will be an inter-service agency, not purely army, functioning under the Integrated Defence Staff. They will be looking after the threats in the cyber domain,” said Lt. General MM Naravane, GOC-in-C, Army Eastern Command. To begin with, the Defence Cyber Agency will be based out of the IDS Headquarters and later dedicated units will come up with the Army commands. “The entire proposal is still under the formulation. Of course, units will be spread all over the country. One person sitting in Delhi cannot be expected to do all these jobs. There will be units in every Headquarters with dedicated officers to deal with the cybersecurity,” added Naravane. Last year, the Cabinet Committee on Security had cleared the formation of three agencies - Defence Cyber Agency is one of them, the two others are - Defence Space Agency and Special Operations Division.

India to come up with Defence Cyber Agency

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